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Specific vs Provide - What's the difference?

specific | provide |

As an adjective specific

is explicit or definite.

As a noun specific

is a distinguishing attribute or quality.

As a verb provide is

to make a living; earn money for necessities.

specific

English

Alternative forms

* specifick (obsolete)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • explicit or definite
  • (sciences) Pertaining to a species.
  • *2008 , (Richard Dawkins), The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing , Oxford 2009, p. 3:
  • *:Science and literature, then, are the two achievements of Homo sapiens that most convincingly justify the specific name.
  • (taxonomy) pertaining to a taxon at the rank of species
  • special, distinctive or unique
  • intended for, or applying to a particular thing
  • being a remedy for a particular disease
  • Quinine is a specific medicine in cases of malaria.
  • * Coleridge
  • In fact, all medicines will be found specific in the perfection of the science.
  • (immunology) limited to a particular antibody or antigen
  • (physics) of a value divided by mass (e.g. specific orbital energy)
  • (physics) similarly referring to a value divided by any measure which acts to standardize it (e.g. thrust specific fuel consumption, referring to fuel consumption divided by thrust)
  • (physics) a measure compared with a standard reference value by division, to produce a ratio without unit or dimension (e.g. specific refractive index is a pure number, and is relative to that of air)
  • Antonyms

    * all-purpose * broad * general * general-purpose * generic * gross * nonspecific * overall * pandemic * universal * unspecific * widespread

    Derived terms

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    See also

    * generic

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A distinguishing attribute or quality.
  • Something particularly adapted for a particular use, as a remedy for a particular disorder
  • Specification
  • (in the plural) The details; particulars.
  • Derived terms

    *

    provide

    English

    Verb

    (provid)
  • To make a living; earn money for necessities.
  • It is difficult to provide for my family working on minimum wage.
  • To act to prepare for something.
  • To establish as a previous condition; to stipulate.
  • The contract provides that the work be well done.
    I'll lend you the money, provided that you pay it back by Monday.
  • To give what is needed or desired, especially basic needs.
  • Don't bother bringing equipment, as we will provide it.
    We aim to provide the local community with more green spaces.
  • To furnish (with), cause to be present.
  • * Arbuthnot
  • Rome was well provided with corn.
  • To make possible or attainable.
  • He provides us with an alternative option.
  • * Milton
  • Bring me berries, or such cooling fruit / As the kind, hospitable woods provide .
  • (obsolete, Latinism) To foresee.
  • (Ben Jonson)
  • To appoint to an ecclesiastical benefice before it is vacant. See provisor .
  • (Prescott)

    Derived terms

    * provider

    Statistics

    * 1000 English basic words ----